Changing Business Practicesfor eGrants
Presented at the Scanning Steering CommitteeMeeting of Tuesday, November 27, 2001
PWhen the only tool you have is a hammer,there seem to be a lot of nails around– Traditional proverb
PThe times they are a changin’– Robert Zimmerman– (aka Bob Dylan)
Changing Business Practices foreGrantsThe Quotes
PRule #1 - We are currently, and willcontinue to be, in a state of transition forthe forseeable future.
PRule #2 - Transitions are hell.
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Rules
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Current Process for Applications
Paper applicationsreceived by CSR
Paper applicationscopied and distributed tostudy sections and ICs
Paper applicationssent to reviewers
Paper applicationsreturned to NIH
Paper applicationsfiled in each IC
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
One Result of the Current Process: The Paper IntensiveOffice
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
Another Result of the Current Process
PMany questions and issues, butperhaps not so many answers.
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
PWhat are we doing to prepare for e-Grants?< Short Term< Long Term
PShould standards be set for eFiles for theICs?
PShould files be stored in the IC or theenterprise?
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Questions - 1
PWhat are the archival issues involved?< Record retention
PWhat do we do with old paper files?PHow do we deal with file disposal?PWhat about items that come in apart from
the application?< Letters and other correspondence< E-mail< Phone messages
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Questions - 2
PWhich items are “FOIable?”< How do we redact from eFiles?
PWhat are the issues related to “shadow”files maintained by program staff?
PWhat are the issues related to file stabilityand format? (The “8-track dilemma.”)
PWhat are the issues related to imagequality?
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Questions - 3
PShould all applications be placed on awebsite?< Bandwidth Issues< Connection Speed Issues
PShould the NIH continue to be a paperenvironment?
PApart from grants, what are the documentmanagement issues?
PWho pays for all of this stuff???
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Questions - 4
PHow do we handle Conflicts of Interest?< Digital Rights Management
PDo program staff get CDsPCan we use eBooks?PCan applications be eliminated from the
grants folder?PWhat are the training requirements for
staff?< i.e., burning CDs
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Questions - 5
PGiven the new tools that are available, whatcan be done to enhance, streamline andotherwise modify our work procedures?
PWhat will we be able to do in the future thatwe cannot do now?< Sharing Documents< Electronic Stapling< On-line Editing< eForms
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
Vision
PCompact SizePConverts paper to
pdf imagePConnected to the
InternetPDocuments can be
scanned, filed,stored and sent
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
An Example: The H-P Digital Sender
P The EPA wishes to establish a standard for electronicrecords that are kept to comply with the laws itadministers.
P EPA records, however, need not be storedelectronically. But, like the FDA, anything that was everon a computer is considered to be an electronic record.
P Both the FDA and EPA require that records must havean audit trail - to deter fraud, as a tool for governmentinspectors to use, and as evidence for legal casesalleging environmental concerns.
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The EPA/FDA Story
What are the NIH issuesrelated to electronic
records?
PTechnologyPCostPConsistency/Uniformity across ICsPArchivingPThe Records Control SchedulePLegal Issues
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
NIH eRecords Issues
TobaccoLitigation!
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Intermediate Process for Applications
Application arrives atCSR
Application scannedby ORS
Tiff image sent by ORSto contractor
Completed pdf filesent from contractor
to IMPAC II
Applications and CDsavailable in IMPAC II(~13,000 pages/disk)
Paper applicationplaced in file
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Future Process for Grant Applications
eGrants received viathe Commons
Data captured andimages formed
Images available toreviewers and staff
Electronic review atall levels
Electronic storage of allrecords
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
The Result of a Total eProcess
Changing Business Practices foreGrants
And now the demo...